The Unfriend - Chichester / Criterion / Wyndham’s

[theatrelover123]

Anybody know if the main 3 are generally appearing in recent shows. Thinking of getting a ticket to today’s matinee but only if they are on really.

And yes I know that it’s hard to predict and that we don’t just go to see the leads

[Rory]

Feb 12, 2023 9:11:18 GMT theatrelover123 said:

Anybody know if the main 3 are generally appearing in recent shows. Thinking of getting a ticket to today’s matinee but only if they are on really.

And yes I know that it’s hard to predict and that we don’t just go to see the leads

I think Reece and Amanda had a recent run of covid and chest infections etc but were all back on last Saturday.

[theatrelover123]

Thanks Rory

[edi]

Tonight all 3 mains were on and I saw it on a todaytx rush ticket, good stalls seats.

I suppose not everyone appreciates the same type of comedy but I was laughing a lot except during the cringeworthy toilet scene, the one people seem to rave about.

Frances Barber seemed to play the same character as she did in Musik a few years ago, but it was just what worked best for this play.

[jay78uk]

Watched this from row H in the stalls last night... had mixed feelings... while I enjoyed the premise and acting, I found the script rather weak and dragged in places. As others have said it feels like an extended 1970s sitcom- which isn't really my thing. But it clearly hit the mark with a sub set of the audience who found it hilarious. I found the second act toilet scene beyond tedious and really unfunny. But a perfectly enjoyable way to spend two hours, and a great performances by all three leads. 

ps. I really do feel its dangerous territory refusing to see actors because of opinions they have expressed on social media regarding current affairs and social issues. Whether one agrees with her or not, Frances is simply expressing views held by a significant proportion of the British population and she, like anyone else in Britain is allowed to express such opinions as we, thankfully, have freedom of speech. There is no need to agree with her utterances on social media in order to see her perform. 

[londonpostie]

The contrast with the veneration of Gary Linaker is pretty amusing.

No idea why anyone gives the time of day to the clowns and trolls of social media. Honestly kids, it's okay to have an opinion that is actually your own.

Fwiw, I saw this yesterday, at least the first half. Not my thing. Best to not speak of it again.

Lovely, lovey, little theatre.

[adamkinsey]

I am absolutely at a loss to understand why this received some four-star reviews and I can only assume the reviewers on glue. The two-star reviews which Abbington (unwisely and stupidly) railed against on Twitter (can't stand the heat love, get outta the kitchen) were pretty accurate. It's an intriguing premise for a dark comedy that has a lot of potential that Moffatt fails to explore veering it towards the toilet farce of Act II. The teenagers change personalities almost overnight and despite being on a cruise for four weeks the three lead players are as pale as pasteurised milk at the end of it. And who, in the right mind would even give their email to Elsa when you can't stand her? You wouldn't, you'd "accidentally" add a full stop where there shouldn't be one.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I stuck it out because I did laugh a few times and smiled a bit; there were a few real zinger lines and one or two funny scenes. At last night's performance I'd sat half the audience laughed a lot and have the audience were like me. Shearsmith is OK but in act two starts morphing into a League of Gentlemen character (replete with silly voice). Abbington has a lesser role and is unable to do anything with it (sorry, but I do not understand her appeal, I find her a very poor actress). Barber's role needs to be larger than life but she sometimes crosses the line into cariacture. The best performance is Michael Simkins as The Neighbour - pitch-perfect, believable and effortlessly funny (whereas half the time Shearsmith has to make a lot of effort to get the laughs). It has the advantage of being just two hours long with interval but I'm afraid it felt longer.

[Mr Crummles]

Mar 15, 2023 12:21:06 GMT adamkinsey said:

I am absolutely at a loss to understand why this received some four-star reviews and I can only assume the reviewers on glue. The two-star reviews which Abbington (unwisely and stupidly) railed against on Twitter (can't stand the heat love, get outta the kitchen) were pretty accurate. It's an intriguing premise for a dark comedy that has a lot of potential that Moffatt fails to explore veering it towards the toilet farce of Act II. The teenagers change personalities almost overnight and despite being on a cruise for four weeks the three lead players are as pale as pasteurised milk at the end of it. And who, in the right mind would even give their email to Elsa when you can't stand her? You wouldn't, you'd "accidentally" add a full stop where there shouldn't be one.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I stuck it out because I did laugh a few times and smiled a bit; there were a few real zinger lines and one or two funny scenes. At last night's performance I'd sat half the audience laughed a lot and have the audience were like me. Shearsmith is OK but in act two starts morphing into a League of Gentlemen character (replete with silly voice). Abbington has a lesser role and is unable to do anything with it (sorry, but I do not understand her appeal, I find her a very poor actress). Barber's role needs to be larger than life but she sometimes crosses the line into cariacture. The best performance is Michael Simkins as The Neighbour - pitch-perfect, believable and effortlessly funny (whereas half the time Shearsmith has to make a lot of effort to get the laughs). It has the advantage of being just two hours long with interval but I'm afraid it felt longer.

I was on the half that laughed tremendously, rapturously, and unstoppably. Perhaps because I fully identified myself with the non-confrontational couple and could see myself exactly in that very same situation. I often find myself easily imposed upon by a lack of assertiveness. Yes, the children's change was unusual, but I felt it was just a device to have Elsa even more intrinsically involved in their lives. I still laugh when I think of it…

[Rory]

[londonpostie]

No actual announcement, then. Just a bit of spin.

[Being Alive]

Exactly. Plenty of shows do this.

For reference, there are a LOT of seats available for this over the next few weeks so I think this has probably been exaggerated slightly

[Rory]

The article has quotes from Matthew Byam Shaw from Playful Productions, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss so there does seem to be a significant intent to move it elsewhere after the Criterion run. Time will tell.

[Rory]

I liked this a lot. It's just a feel good, old school comedy with a lovely set and a great cast who work really well together and who seemed to be having a lot of fun. The audience loved it! Who knows whether it will move theatres or come back at some point but I was glad to have seen it. Steven Moffat was there on Thursday afternoon and it must be very gratifying for him hearing the gales of laughter his play is getting.

[Boob]

Mar 23, 2023 10:36:53 GMT Rory said:

Help us, 2:22! You’re our only hope!

[bwayboy22]

Was excited to see this but I just thought this was ok. Not sure why, but I didn't really connect with the show. The audience around me was laughing a lot, but I only joined them about 50% of the time. Disappointed.

[adamkinsey]

Apr 17, 2023 8:58:55 GMT bwayboy22 said:

Was excited to see this but I just thought this was ok. Not sure why, but I didn't really connect with the show. The audience around me was laughing a lot, but I only joined them about 50% of the time. Disappointed.

Since I saw it and was similarly unimpressed an actor I've worked with several times when to see it and he described it as "absolute tosh"

[mkb]

I get why people revisit threads to defend shows they love -- I do that myself -- but it seems strange to me that some people repost to reinforce their dislike. (The Cinderella thread was particularly prone to it.) Rather than fair criticism, it starts to feel like deliberate attempts to sabotage.

[adamkinsey]

Apr 17, 2023 11:16:42 GMT mkb said:

I get why people revisit threads to defend shows they love -- I do that myself -- but it seems strange to me that some people repost to reinforce their dislike. (The Cinderella thread was particularly prone to it.) Rather than fair criticism, it starts to feel like deliberate attempts to sabotage.

Not sure how you can sabotage a show that a) has broken box office records but, more importantly, b) now closed

[mkb]

Apr 17, 2023 14:20:04 GMT adamkinsey said:

Apr 17, 2023 11:16:42 GMT mkb said:

I get why people revisit threads to defend shows they love -- I do that myself -- but it seems strange to me that some people repost to reinforce their dislike. (The Cinderella thread was particularly prone to it.) Rather than fair criticism, it starts to feel like deliberate attempts to sabotage.

Not sure how you can sabotage a show that a) has broken box office records but, more importantly, b) now closed

Fair points!

[mjh]

Have heard this is re-opening at a new theatre in Dec - a different comedian replacing Reece.

[mrbarnaby]

Jul 8, 2023 19:04:19 GMT mjh said:

Have heard this is re-opening at a new theatre in Dec - a different comedian replacing Reece.

Wyndhams Theatre .. with Lee Mack.

[Rory]

Interesting. I knew they were looking to bring it back and I thought it might follow another Playful show into the Haymarket. I wonder what will go there in September?

[keyspi]

Jul 8, 2023 19:19:10 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Jul 8, 2023 19:04:19 GMT mjh said:

Have heard this is re-opening at a new theatre in Dec - a different comedian replacing Reece.

Wyndhams Theatre .. with Lee Mack.

Hmmmm.....if that is true, that can drastically change the overall feel of the show. I might have to go see it again

[Jon]

Jul 8, 2023 19:22:21 GMT Rory said:

Interesting. I knew they were looking to bring it back and I thought it might follow another Playful show into the Haymarket. I wonder what will go there in September?

Maybe Frank and Percy?

I wonder if we'll get a new actress for the role of Debbie or will it be Amanda Abbington again? 

Guessing a short run until February since Long Day's Journey is in March. 

[Dave B]

www.whatsonstage.com/news/the-unfriend-to-return-to-the-west-end-with-lee-mack_1510989

Wyndham’s Theatre 16 December to 9 March 2024 with Lee Mack all confirmed.